Reviews for Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

A lesser sequel

Strengths: Maps that augment the tactical battles, same great combat system from FE7, addition of skills.

Weakness: Lack of Challenge.

Sacred Stones is a sequel that takes the base combat system from it predecessor and adds character skills to enhance that combat. These include a no damage skill, a sure hit skill, and a few others. The Weapons Triangle and the Trinity of Magic are back, and the same rules apply from FE7 (Fire Emblem). One thing that did not amuse me was the lack of challenge that this game presented. I only died three times, and those occurrences were on fog of war maps. Oh yeah, the enemy AI is standard for this sort of game, as enemies seek to attack your leader and also attack weak characters close to them. Overall, Sacred Stones is a fun game, even though the low challenge quotent brings it down a bit. You cannot go wrong with buying this game.

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Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

Strengths: Excellent game play

Weakness: Can get frustrating at times Short compared to the first Fire Emblem

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is one of the few role-playing strategy game on the Gameboy Advance. What makes this game much more different from other strategy games is that once your unit dies, he/she cannot come back. You can, of course, restart the level if you're a perfectionist, but you would also lose all your work in that level up to that point. This is what makes Fire Emblem addicting, the fact that you cannot just toss a unit into the enemies and not get punish for it.

For those who played the first Fire Emblem (released in US), the game is no longer restricted to you following your characters to wherever you go. Similar to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, you can now travel around the world in the world map. From there, you can access your team's items and shops in the map you have played before. Also, monsters will also appear on the map as skirmishes for you to fight (they're optional). If you feel your units are underlevel, you can always go to two optional levels where you can fight through levels of levels of monsters. This, in a way, makes the game a lot more easy than the first Fire Emblem, but it's not a bad addition to the gameplay.

The replay value of this game is excellent. There are two different paths you can take, more than 30 characters for you to use in different gameplays (hundreds of combinations of teams) and 10 secret characters you can unlock, three levels of difficulty, and many supports from characters for you to unlock. And if you have friends who also have this game, you can also challenge them to Link Arena where you pit your five best against his five best.

Overall, this game is an excellent game for all role-playing strategy players out there. If you like games like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and the Advance Wars series, I would highly suggest you pick this game up. For causal gamers, it is still an excellent addition to your GBA library.

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Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

Strengths: Deep and engaging plot, compelling gameplay.

Weakness: Battle graphics are identical to original GBA Fire Emblem.

Nintendo's Fire Emblem, released in 2003, was a strategy fan's dream. An intricate plot coupled with difficult gameplay won over many fans. Why was it so difficult? If a character died, they were gone for good, forcing a great deal of planning and strategy. In addition, the only way to level up characters was via the story mode, which meant risking weaker characters on the front line.

The Sacred Stones isn't nearly as challenging, as Nintendo has added sidequests and random battles as well as three difficulty levels. However, the Fire Emblem style of play still rocks, and Intelligent Systems has produced yet another classic. Replay value is excellent, as there are now two different paths to take as well as a variety of new characters and classes to round things out.

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A decent strategy game

Strengths: Good strategy, nice graphics - good for gaming on the go

Weakness: May be too hard for some gamers.

The Fire Emblem series has returned to the Game Boy Advance. This iterations boasts more than 30 large battles, a multitude of characters, and a variety of twists in the story. Any gamer who is into RPG's or Strategy games will surely love this game, and it is one of the best games available for the Game Boy Advance. My only complaint is that the difficulty may be too hard for some gamers, but everything else is perfect.

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Hmm this is tough....

Strengths: They came out with more chapters than ever! slick graphics for a gba game and great gameplay best game in my gba games.

Weakness: Unforantly ssb marth and roy are gone. some parts it gets to diffcult and u got to chose between epharim or eirka which sucks.

overall its above avarge with nice backgronds and better tranformations like the knights crest. though the price is a bit high at game stop here well mine as well buy here and i learnd from that mistake so i gusses a 4 or so.

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Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

Strengths: gameplay, Story, graphics

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is the second Fire Emblem game to see a release in the United States after years of success and popularity in Japan. The first US release enchanted American gamers with its unique blend of strategy and role-playing. The extremely well balanced and brilliant level design of the first game made it an instant classic, does the newest installment match up?
Fire Emblem games are somewhat like the Final Fantasy games. Each installment of the game shares similarities with previous games, but they are not direct sequels. Final Fantasy continues to stick to the sequel numbering, Fire Emblem does not, they simply add a new subtitle. The Fire Emblem games do share more in common, often telling the story of ancestors, descendants or characters from the previous games.
Graphically the Sacred Stones is only slightly improved over its predecessor, thankfully that game looked great. The artistic style of the game fits it brilliantly, and distinguishes it from the typical sword and sorcery look of rpgs. The Characters all have a personality and the little battlefield sprites have just enough to them to give them that little something. Animation is smooth and often entertaining. Audio is similarly great, fun anthems and ballads set the mood and sound effects are right on the money.
Following its brilliant predecessor, the Sacred Stones takes the Fire Emblem battle formula and runs with it. Fire Emblem games are a blend of strategy and Rpg, in the most apt sense. Characters in Fire Emblem advance in skill, class, and level based on battle progress and power ups, allowing them to add new abilities and power. These characters are placed on a field of battle typical to strategy games, where you command them and uses tactics to win a battle or achieve an objective. Unlike your typical strategy game, these soldiers in the field have unique personalities and traits, they are characters instead of nameless warriors. When they die on the field of play, they are gone forever, so death is of real consequence and it really changes the normal strategy dynamic. These characters enter into battle with the enemy and these individual fights carry out based on many variables. Character abilities, level, class, and terrain all come into play when deciding the outcome of a fight, There is also a system of weapons and magic-certain kinds of magic trump others, while another kind will trump those. The same goes for weapons, typically a sword will beat an axe, while a lance will beat a sword, but be weak against axes. The system is extremely balanced and deep.
Much like the first Fire Emblem game, the sacred stone follows a deep and intriguing story that plays out both during battle and in cutscenes. But even with a less compelling story this game would be great due to its excellent gameplay. An enthralling story, brilliant strategy rpg play, and an overall sense of fun makes the Sacred Stones a must buy.

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Great tactical RPG

Strengths: Visually appealing, great characters, good story

Weakness: Animations aren't the focus of the game; they don't detract from the experience, but they don't add much to it either.

I fell in love with Fire Emblem when it was released for the GameCube (Path of Radiance). I couldn't get enough, so both GBA titles were next on my list. Sacred Stones is really from the same mold, which is a good thing.

If you've played a Fire Emblem game, you know what you'll get from this game; if not, it's a turn-based tactical RPG along the same vein as Tactics Ogre/Ogre Battle. The story is very engaging, with interesting characters getting you more involved.

Recommended to anyone who enjoys tactical games or solid RPGs.

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Just because it's over....doesn't mean it's over!

Strengths: Additional replay value. Greater customization of character classes. Same old Fire Emblem mechanics you've grown to love (if you're reading this review, that is)

Weakness: A bit short in the main campaign (relative to FE 7 & 9). Less difficult than other FE games. Marth and Roy aren't in it (SSB:M fans, take note).

If you've already played other Fire Emblem games (this is the 8th game in the series, but only the second of three to make its way to the U.S.), then you have a good idea of what you're getting with this game. Characters that get killed during turn-based combat stay dead, you start with a Paladin character that will siphon Exp. from players who don't know not to use him, weapons and magic all have specific advantages and disadvantages, etc. The biggest thing that you'll notice with this game are the three 'student' classes (characters who promote to one of the spear-using, axe-using, or magic-using classes when they hit L.10 of their unique classes) and the branching class structure. Each character, while promoting, can choose between multiple options (e.g., a myrmidon can choose between swordmaster and assassin). This is a nice feature, because it creates a few new classes to experiment with, and the added customization creates both replay value and strategic options.

Other nice features include control of your party on the map screen, which allows the user to participate in side quests (either monster encounters on the main map, or two fixed locations where your characters can fight multiple levels of monsters for experience gains). This is an essential part of the game, since the main story mode is shorter than most other Fire Emblem games (only 21 chapters).

One of the best features of the game is that the two fixed locations (described above) can be selected even after the story mode is completed. This allows the player to max level his or her characters for use in link battles; a welcome addition to be sure.

I love the Fire Emblem games, and have already started my second playthrough of "The Sacred Stones." If you like turn-based strategy games, you owe it to yourself to give the franchise a try.

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FE Part Deux

Strengths: Great gameplay and combat system.

Weakness: Not much new since last FE.

The Sacred Stones is the next installment of Fire Emblem for the GBA and it's great. It's a Tactical RPG in the lines of FFTA and Tactics Ogre but it's different enough to be separate from those games. It's an engaging game that will keep you buys.

Unfortunately, fans of the last FE game might find this one a little shorter. Also, it's basically the same game but a new adventure. So there aren't many major new additions. But if you loved the first you'll love the second and it's highly recommended for newcomers to the setting. It's a great game.

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Fire Emblem The Sacred Stones

Strengths: Excellent strategy RPG for the GBA

Weakness: N/A

If you liked Fire Emblem for the GBA, you will like Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. The game has nearly identical gameplay, but with an all new story and characters. Of course, if you are not a fan of this type of more cerebral game then you won't like it. I happen to prefer these games over button-mashing combofests. One of my favorite games is Advance Wars. When I heard Fire Emblem was similar (but of course with a completely different setting/story) I had to try the Fire Emblem series, and have not been disappointed.

The only knock on this game is that it is very similar to the first one, with very little in the way of improvement. However, given that the first was excellent, this isn't such a bad thing. But, there is the possibility for disappointment if you are expecting big changes.

The game features a long and challenging single-player adventure that will almost certainly provide you with your money's worth of entertainment.

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Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones (GBA)

Strengths: Gameplay, graphics, story, and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance connection bonuses

I am a huge fan of this sort of game, and am always ectatic when it is executed as flawlsessly as it has been in Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones. I just wish I could get my hands on a copy of the original Fire Emblem, because it is supposed to be even more difficult. I would even say that this game outstrips Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis for pure story, and rivals Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for gameplay and presentation. I highly reccommend this game!

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The SEQUEL TO THE POPULAR S-RPG SERIES....

Strengths: Same Addicting Gameplay! Great Storyline just like the Anime Series! improved Graphics!

Weakness: Battle animation could be better updated! Don't think it's worth it for the $29.99 price tag.

FIRE EMBLEM: SACRED STONES

The 2nd GBA game in the Series... Which held over a handful of sequel in Japan.

This is a Simple turn base Stratgy RPG! Like Final Fantasy Tactics.

Pros: Super Fun addicting Gameplay! Slighty Improved Graphic & animation! A storyline that stay true the Fire Emblem anime series & what not.

Cons: Battle animation could be bump up a notch from other GBA games.. like example "RIVIERA". another thing is the Price: "$29.99"... for the same price there is better games... In my opinion a $19.99 price fits this game perfectly...

Overall: 4 OUTTA 5 STARS

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Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

I've had a serious problem these past few days. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones hit stores across the nation, and with its release came the need to review it. In a perfect world, this would be absolutely wonderful. I love the Fire Emblem series. Why wouldn't I jump at the chance to review the sequel to a game that held me hostage for more than 30 days and 30 nights? I did jump at the chance! I was...

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Fire Emblem Sacred Stones

For more than twenty years, Nintendo has been the undisputed king when it comes to developing video game franchises. Mario. Zelda. Metroid. Pokémon. These are just a few of the properties that have been spawned from the House of N. Fire Emblem is another of the company's landmark franchises. The title first crossed Japanese gamers' paths on the Famicom back in 1990, and while it proved to be a...

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Fire Emblem Sacred Stones

The fantasy series returns to the platform that kickstarted it in the US. How's the sequel fare?

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